The Blue Blooded Ranger
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: No one ever said being a cop was boring, especially when you're dealing with alien kidnappers, beautiful socialites, scheming politicians, and jealous Pink Rangers. For Schuyler Tate though, it's just another day at the office.
1. Act I

**A/N:**  
 **Aright, time to get back to form and I'm sticking with the SPD crew for just one more. This short story is set after the main series and not related at all to my other darker grittier SPD fic, Crucible.**

 **Power Rangers at its core should be light hearted and fun, and special thanks go to TheFirstRedRanger for a little inspiration to write this story. This one's for you buddy.**

* * *

"Come on Sky!" Sydney Drew begged as she walked alongside her teammate.

"Nope." Sky shook his head again as the two officers continued patrolling through the busy gardens of Centennial Park. It was late afternoon, but the oppressive heat of the summer sun still hung over New Tech City.

"Please?" Sydney whined again while stepping aside for a passing cyclist, "It's hot out here and I need to cool off! Why can't we just stop and get an ice cream cone?"

The Red Ranger gave an amused smile and wagged his finger, "Regulations Syd. Officers are required to adhere to a strict balanced diet... plus, it's almost dinner time. You'll ruin your appetite."

The Pink Ranger stuck out her tongue petulantly, "I don't think that part was in the manual smart guy."

Sky crossed his arms officiously, "Ok, what if we had to respond to call while you were eating? Are you really telling me you could handle an armed criminal with a scoop of cherry ice cream in your hand and a Delta Morpher in the other?"

"I guess we'll never know until we try, will we?" Syd smiled with a playful wink.

She laughed, seeing her straight laced teammate sigh in frustration as she poked his arm, "Ok then. When we get off our shift, do you want to go grab a bite to eat together?"

Sky hesitantly glanced to his teammate a moment, "Just you and me?"

"Sure, why not?" Syd smiled, "It'll be fun. Besides, the others will still be on duty anyway. What do you say?"

Sky stopped and took a long moment to consider it.

"Sky? Were you even listening?" Sydney prompted snapping her fingers near his face. Before he could answer, the two heard a shrill cry for help and turned to see an attractive young brunette woman being dragged away by a large reptilian alien. The girl was dressed in running clothes and struggled as the alien held her tightly by the forearm, all while trying to look subtle.

Shooting a look to Sydney, Sky began to give chase to the attempted kidnapper "Hey! SPD! Hold it right there."

The alien spun around in surprise and gave a growl while trying to escape, pulling the girl along roughly. Startled people in the park quickly stepped aside as Sky and Syd charged down the walkway. As they ran, Syd reached for her comm, "Dispatch, this is Officer Drew, we have an attempted kidnapping at Centennial Park. Requesting immediate backup."

As the female jogger continued to struggle and slow down the alien, Sky charged in and threw himself at the kidnaper, tackling the villain into a nearby volleyball pit. As the jogger broke free, Sydney pulled her aside to safety while Sky continued to grapple with the alien on the ground.

While Sky and the alien furiously wrestled, the alien reached out and grabbed a handful of sand from the volleyball pit. In one swift motion, he threw it straight into Sky's face.

The Red Ranger sputtered in surprise as the alien shoved him off and leapt up, continuing to push through the crowd until he reached a waiting car at the edge of the park. "Sky! Are you hurt?" Syd cried as she ran over and helped her teammate to his feet.

"Only my pride," he angrily muttered wiping sand from his face and uniform. "Did you see where the perp went?"

Syd shook her head, "Sorry. I lost sight of him in the crowd too. I called for backup though."

Sky nodded, "What about the victim? Is she ok?"

The Red Ranger suddenly had his question answered as the young woman they had saved threw her arms around him in gratitude while the nearby people in the park began clapping and cheering. As he stood in momentary confusion, Sky gave Sydney a questioning look which she answered with an amused shrug and a clapping gesture too.

* * *

Later that evening, the reptilian alien stepped out of his getaway car as the driver parked in the large lower level garage of a downtown office building. He nervously took a few paces into the dark parking lot as he saw a man wearing an expensive suit. The businessman waited patiently for him at the other end of the lot flanked by two other burly men in suits. The businessman was handsome, with patrician features and light slicked back hair. His sharp eyes tracked the alien as it approached apprehensively and stopped several feet away.

"Where's the girl Goram?" the well dressed man calmly asked while slowly lighting up a cigarette.

The reptilian growled, "I'm sorry Mr. Lucien. SPD got in the way."

"I don't want to hear your excuses Goram. I gave you a simple task and you failed. That is not what I paid you for." Mr. Lucien said blowing out a slow string of cigarette smoke.

"I won't screw up again sir!" Goram pleaded, "I promise! Just give me one more chance!"

Lucien angrily threw down his cigarette and crushed it with his shoe saying sharply, "You are in no position to make demands on me!"

Goram cowered as the two bodyguards reached into their suit coats, most likely for weapons, but Lucien slowly waved them off and took a calming breath.

"You realize there is a city alderman election coming up in a month. I've campaigned too long and hard to lose. Now, if we can't force my opponent to drain all his finances through ransom and drop out of the race, it's going to be that much more difficult to win. You have one more chance Goram. Bring me the girl."

The reptilian nodded and exhaled in relief as Lucien turned around and departed the garage with his men, leaving the failed kidnapper to contemplate his next uncertain plan.

* * *

The next morning, Sky sat with Bridge and Z in the rec room of SPD Headquarters, killing some time before they had to report for duty. "So, I heard you were quite the hero the other day at Centennial Park." Z smirked toward Sky as she lounged on a sofa next to Bridge. "Saving a girl from an attempted kidnapping? What was her name again? Jackie?"

Sky calmly sat back in his own seat taking a sip from a water bottle, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, was she hot?" Bridge grinned, "Did you take down her number afterward?"

Sky smirked as Z punched Bridge in the arm before answering, "The only thing I took down was her written statement... but she wasn't too hard on the eyes either."

"Syd wasn't jealous was she?" Z asked playfully as Sky frowned in confusion.

"No. Why should she be?" he asked curiously.

At that moment, the doors of the rec room opened and Sydney entered, marching quickly up to Sky. She shoved a piece of paper in front of him and put her hands on her hips indignantly, "Sky? Just what is going on here?"

He looked at the paper and then to her in confusion as she continued, "The duty roster is all screwed up! I'm patrolling with Mary Dufour from C-Squad today? I thought we were partnered up for the week!"

From the couch, Z and Bridge exchanged an amused look at the Pink Ranger's outburst.

"Sorry Syd." Sky answered, "This is out my hands. I was only told that I'd be reassigned for a while."

"You're the Red Ranger!" Sydney exclaimed, "You already have a say in the patrol assignments!"

"Except I'm giving him a special one," came a authoritative voice from behind.

The Rangers scrambled to their feet and saluted as Commander Anubis Cruger entered the room and approached them. The dog faced commander looked about the room for a moment before giving a nod, "At ease."

Sydney gave a sheepish look where she stood, "I'm sorry Commander. I just wanted to know what was going on with all this."

Cruger turned to Sky and said, "Officer Tate, you've been assigned to personal guard duty for the week."

Sky frowned slightly, "For a valuable witness? Visiting diplomat, maybe?"

Cruger grimaced and gave a soft growl to himself, "More like babysitting a socialite."

The other Rangers waited in confused silence as Cruger continued, "Sky and Sydney, you recall that young woman you saved the other day at the park? Jacqueline Linton?"

The two nodded as the commander produced a newspaper highlighting the story, "It seems she is being targeted for kidnapping."

"I still don't understand sir, what does this have to do with us?" Syd asked curiously.

"Miss Linton is the daughter of a senior city alderman." Cruger explained, "You'll recall that he's been a longtime political ally and proponent for the funding of SPD. There's also an election coming up and we suspect the attempts on his daughter are somehow politically motivated."

Sky wrinkled his brow, "I understand sir. SPD is doing Alderman Linton a favor here, but why me? I mean, isn't that kind of a waste of our resources? Any other officer could be assigned that duty."

Cruger shook his head uncomfortably, "Except you were specifically requested as a body guard by Miss Linton herself. She said she'd feel safest with one of SPD's top officers and her father seems to agree. I'm sorry Sky, but city politics have tied my hands on this matter."

Sky gave a reluctant nod as Z caught sight of Sydney doing her best to suppress a disapproving scowl.

Cruger turned to the other Rangers, "Sky will be protecting Miss Linton at least until a big charity gala at the end of the week. In the mean time, I want you three to track down whoever is responsible for this plot. I'll have you report to Kat Manx's afterward for further details. Sky, if you'll come with me?"

Cruger turned around and made his way out of the room quickly, "Dismissed."

The Rangers saluted again as Sky gave Syd a helpless shrug and followed the Commander out the door. After they left, Bridge turned to the Pink Ranger who remained standing in place with a frown. "Uh, Syd? Our shifts start soon. You coming?"

"Hmmph." Sydney grumbled as she brushed past Bridge and strode briskly out the door, all while the Blue and Yellow Ranger exchanged another look while shaking their heads.

* * *

Later that day, Sky and Commander Cruger were driven uptown to one of the more affluent areas of New Tech City. As they stepped out of the car and looked around, they were greeted by the sight of green manicured lawns, large stately townhouses, and clean well maintained streets. After getting out of the car, they were greeted at the door of one of the town homes by an older well dressed man. He was clean cut and wore a friendly smile as he extended a warm hand to Cruger.

"Commander Cruger. Thank you for coming. Please, come in."

Cruger shook the man's hand back politely as they entered the house, "Thank you Alderman Linton. It's good to see you again."

Once inside, Mr. Linton led them to the living room and turned to Sky, "This must be SPD's Red Ranger... Officer Tate, was it?"

"Yes sir." Sky answered standing at rigid attention and shaking Linton's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Well," the Alderman smiled, "I can see my daughter will be in good hands, and you have my thanks for saving her at the park. Jackie is upstairs right now cleaning up, but she should be ready to go back to her place in a few minutes."

Cruger instinctively looked around the well furnished room for any opening to outside threats before saying, "Rest assured Alderman, I have my best officers rushing to get to the bottom of this kidnaping business."  
Linton gave a somewhat faint smile, "I know you will Commander, though part of me hopes that you don't rush too quickly." Turning to Sky, he muttered quietly, "I'm actually hoping some of that SPD discipline and self control will rub off on my daughter."

At that moment, the same young brunette woman from the park came down the stairs with her suitcase. She was dressed in expensive clothes and looked very pretty, having put on some makeup too. She caught sight of Sky and flashed him a bright smile, "Officer Tate! Thanks for coming! It's good to see you again!"

Sky and Cruger exchanged a slow sideways glance before the Red Ranger answered hesitantly, "Err... likewise Miss Linton."

The girl laughed and waved it off, "Please, Miss Linton is so formal and stuffy. You can just call me Jackie. I'm all packed up now so we can head back to my apartment downtown."

Sky felt Cruger give him a pat on the shoulder as he headed out the door. "Well Officer Tate, I'll leave you to it. Be sure to check in at 21:00 hours."

"Good luck son." Alderman Linton added quietly before walking back in the den.

As Sky picked up the luggage with a nod and followed the bubbly young woman out the door, he wasn't sure what he was getting himself into and whether or not he should feel worried, scared, or a little bit of both.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the lab of SPD Headquarters, Bridge and Z gathered around the desk of the scientist Kat Manx as she presented them with a small petri dish and a file folder. Off to the corner, Sydney sat at a chair busily looking over a datapad.

"Rangers, I'm glad you came." SPD's chief scientist greeted them, "I have something special for you all."

"It's not anthrax is it?" Bridge asked glancing at the petri dish skeptically. "Because you know, it kinda looks it."

Kat stared at Bridge incredulously for a moment and narrowed her eyes while Z shook her head in frustration. The feline held up the dish and passed Z the file folder. "As much as I wish I had a sample right now, we'll have to settle on a lead in your investigation. I've managed to recover some scale samples from the suspect Officer Tate tried to catch yesterday. I've run some DNA tests and it matched up with a known criminal that's already in our system."

"Wow! Way to go Kat!" Z grinned thumbing through the file. "At least we've got a name on our perp, Goram Quigg. Looks like he just got out on parole and isn't doing a very good job of keeping his nose clean."

Looking to the corner, Z called over, "Syd? Are you even listening over there?"

"Yeah, yeah..." the Pink Ranger muttered without even looking up from her datapad. "Lizardman Goram. Out on parole. Got it."

"Well, at least now that we know who our guy is, he shouldn't be too hard to find." Z smiled ambling closer to look over Sydney's shoulder. "Hey Syd! Come on! Now is not the time to be reading the tabloids!"

Syd wrinkled her nose and turned the pad around to Bridge and Z, "For your information, I was doing research on the victim, Jackie Linton. Looks like the little princess Sky is looking after is quite the party girl and a lightning rod for scandals."

"Well... yeah Syd," Bridge shrugged, "Cruger did say she was a socialite. I mean, your family is wealthy and you partied and ran in the same kinda crowds before. Wouldn't you know all about that stuff already?"

"Well... yeah," Syd retorted indignantly tapping the article, "But I never let myself get this crazy!"

Z sniggered to herself, "Oh, this should be a riot. A wild party girl with eyes for our own Mr. Rules and Regs? The poor guy is in over his head."

"You're right Z!" Syd exclaimed bolting upright, "We've gotta go help him!"

Before Z could reply, Sydney glanced at her watch and hurriedly excused herself out the door, "Oh, look at that. I've gotta run. I'm due out on patrol. I'll see you all later!"

The two remaining Rangers turned to Kat who gave a pensive frown and simply shrugged. She had the feeling that this was going to be one interesting week.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	2. Act II

A few quiet days passed while the Rangers were each busy with their own personal assignments. That particular Wednesday afternoon, Bridge sat down in the noisy cafeteria of SPD headquarters and set his tray down, preparing to enjoy his lunch when his cell phone suddenly buzzed. Taking a look at his phone, Bridge smiled in amusement and answered, "Well, if it isn't our fearless leader."

On the other end of the line, Sky's voice hissed quietly, "Bridge! Do you have a minute to talk?"

"I guess so." Bridge shrugged digging into some Jello "What's going on? How is guard duty going with Jackie?"

"I don't care how attractive she is. This girl is driving me nuts!" Sky said in a hushed voice as he sat nearby a women's fitting room in a department store across town. "She drives like a maniac, is constantly gossiping on the phone or to me, and spends money like it's going out of style!"

"Huh. Sounds just like hanging out with Syd," Bridge joked as Z came to sit down across from him at the table.

"Except Syd is grounded in reality when she has to be." Sky answered. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

Bridge shrugged, "Not sure exactly. Last I heard she was on a stakeout somewhere. I'm sure she's fine."

Sky gave a sigh, "Lucky her. I'm literally stuck waiting here in a botique while Jackie is trying on dresses for the gala."

As he said that, Jackie walked out of the fitting room wearing a low cut blue dress and showed it off to him. Sky gave a polite smile and thumbs up until she walked back into the fitting room before he resumed his sour expression.

"Well that doesn't sound so bad," Bridge remarked. "I'm sure it beats pounding the hot pavement going after criminals."

Sky gave a weak laugh, "Trust me, I'd much rather be doing that right now than be paraded around like some trophy to Jackie's annoying female friends."

"That's funny," Bridge grinned to Z as he kept talking to Sky on the phone, "We're you're friends and you're always complaining about how annoying we are."

"Well, I mean that in the most affectionate way then." Sky mumbled back in annoyance as Jackie exited the fitting room toward the check out counter. "Sorry Bridge. I gotta go."

As Bridge hung up his phone with an amused smile, Z gave a curious look to her partner, "So, how is Sky holding up?"

Bridge took a knife and nonchalantly began to put butter on his bread, "He said he's doing great. Easiest assignment he's ever gotten."

"Boy, I'd kill for a week of light duty right now," Z remarked with a sigh, "I tell you, some people get all the luck."

* * *

Later that day, Sky tiredly plopped down on the soft couch of Jackie's luxurious apartment and dropped the load of shopping bags he had been forced to carry all day. All the rigorous schooling and physical combat training he had endured to become a Ranger… only to be used as a glorified shopping mule, he thought dourly to himself. While The Red Ranger cooled off in the air conditioned room, the dark blue skies of early evening had begun to set in over the city bringing further respite from the harsh summer heat.

Turning his head, he saw Jackie come from the kitchen with a tall glass of ice water and hand it to him. "Are you ok Sky? You look a little run down."

"Thank you. I'll be fine," he answered stoically while taking the glass. "I know you said you wanted to go clubbing later tonight, so I'll get myself together."

"You know," Jackie began with a smile, "I kinda changed my mind. After all, I did drag you all over the city and you've been so sweet and helpful all day."

"Just doing my job Miss Linton," Sky answered mechanically before correcting himself, "I mean… Jackie."

The socialite circled back around the couch slowly "Well, either way. I figured we could stay in tonight and take it easy. Maybe watch a movie? I just ordered some takeout. How does that sound?"

"I'm prepared for whatever you'd prefer to do." Sky replied neutrally while sitting straight in his seat.

Jackie laughed, "It's really cute how serious and professional you are all the time, but you really ought to loosen up once in a while. See? You already look so tense."

From behind the couch, Sky felt her hands gently begin to massage his shoulders and neck. He began to clear his throat but he felt Jackie lean in and say softly in his ear, "There. Doesn't that feel nice?"

Just then, a knocking sound was heard and Sky bolted off the couch toward the door, "That must be the takeout."

As he opened the door, he was surprised to see Sydney waiting impatiently with her hands on her hips. In one hand, she was holding a small plastic bag from a convenience store. "Syd? What are you doing here? I thought you were on patrol."

"I was," she answered pushing the bag into his hands and forcing her way inside. "I was just passing through the neighborhood and thought I'd check up on you. See? I even brought you a few things."

"Energy drinks and instant coffee?" he asked in confusion as he peered into the bag.

"Well, we can't have you falling asleep on the job, can we?" Syd countered, raising her finger.

"Wait a second, is this a slice of garlic pizza in here too?" Sky frowned in confusion holding up the last item.

"Well, it is dinner time right now Sky. Duh!" Sydney exclaimed.

At that moment, Jackie stepped out from the living room with a questioning look to the visitor.

Sky gave a sigh gesturing to the Pink Ranger, "Jackie, you remember my partner, Officer Sydney Drew?"

Jackie gave a gracious smile and shook Sydney's hand, "Yeah. Sky has mentioned you a few times already."

Syd shot him a curious look as Jackie continued, "I actually meant to ask you, are you related to Dr. Lionel Drew?"

"Yes. He's my dad." Syd nodded as Jackie gave an excited look.

"I've heard of your family. You parents are pretty famous and well to do. Now it makes sense why I've never really seen you at all the city's social events. You were busy with police business."

"Guilty as charged." Syd answered diplomatically as Jackie continued to study the Pink Ranger.

"I'm curious. Don't you miss the high life at all… the huge parties, events, and banquets?"

"Well, yeah…" Syd began sheepishly to the girl not more than a few years younger than her, "But I guess I just felt a stronger need to be a cop and help people. I mean, I'm already pretty good at it, and I like being a Ranger too."

Sky gave an approving nod but was cut off as Jackie touched one of Sydney's blonde curls. "Well you're going to have to tell me your secret to looking so good while on you're still on duty."

Sydney forced a smile, "Sorry, that's a classified SPD secret."

"Speaking of which, I know you might be busy with your duties," Jackie said, "But were you at least planning on going to the charity gala this weekend? Maybe make a return appearance?"

"Sorry, no." Syd answered, "I'm kinda busy working an urgent case right now."

"That's too bad." Jackie sighed, "Because I was wondering if I could borrow your partner as my date that night. What do you say Sky?"

Sky hesitated a moment while Jackie gave a hopeful smile and Sydney fixed him with an icy glare. He was definitely caught between a rock and hard place. With a defeated sigh, he said, "I'll still be on guard duty… so I guess I probably should go."

Putting on a fake smile, Sydney turned to Jackie and said, "Well, I should get going. It was nice to see you again Miss Linton. I hope you have fun."

Pulling a crisp about face, the Pink Ranger briskly strode out the door past Sky giving him the smallest nod she could without even looking at him.

As Sky closed the door with a sigh, Jackie gave a thoughtful look, "Well she seemed nice enough. Though, did you get the feeling she was mad at you for something?"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll get over it." The Red Ranger muttered sitting down again and tossing Sydney's "care package" on the couch.

As peace returned to the apartment, Jackie turned toward the bathroom playfully, "I'm going to go freshen up and take a shower. Feel free to pop in and let me know when the food comes."

As Jackie disappeared into the bathroom, Sky rolled his eyes and turned on the TV, hoping to enjoy the momentary distraction. Luckily a baseball game was on.

A few minutes passed and there was another knock at the door. "Oh great," Sky grumbled quietly expecting to open the door and get another earful from Sydney. Again, he was surprised as he opened the door and came face to face with Goram, the alien kidnapper he had tried to apprehend at the park.

"Crap." Sky muttered quietly as the two stood in shocked silence for a moment before the alien lowered his shoulder and tackled the Red Ranger to get in the door. "This just isn't me day." Sky growled, shifting his weight and trying to grapple the alien into a headlock.

An end table and some furniture crashed to the floor as the two fell over each other in a tangle of limbs. Despite his best efforts, Sky struggled against the naturally bigger and stronger reptilian while trying to reach for his morpher, but it was knocked away in the scuffle. As they rolled over again, Sky reached out for the morpher but was stopped just short of it when Goram grabbed his arm and held it down.

Suddenly, the two combatants heard the sound of the door bursting open again and familiar voices cry out, "SPD! Freeze!"

Goram spun around and rose to his feet, only to find Bridge and Z standing in the doorway with drawn pistols. The moment the lizard man tried to rush them, both officers opened fire and sent Goram crashing back against the wall from the force of their shots.

Bridge holstered his gun and hurried over to help his best friend up, "You ok Sky?"

"I'm fine." Sky replied picking his morpher back up. "And thanks for the save. You two have perfect timing."

"We've been chasing scaleface all day." Z said pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "Seems like he had no idea we were following him either."

"He's not dead… is he?" Sky asked, eyeing the limp form of the alien on the floor.

Z shook her head and cuffed him. "Nope, we set the pistols to stun. He should be fine in a few hours."

"Good," Sky nodded, "That's one less problem. Bridge, notify Commander Cruger and get this guy in for questioning."

"I'm on it." Bridge answered reaching for his communicator. As he did, Jackie quickly stepped out of the bathroom. Despite the fact her hair and body were wrapped up in wet towels, she stopped when she saw the scene that had unfolded in her living room, "What the heck is going on out here?"

The three Rangers turned in surprise and stood motionless, staring at the half naked socialite. She gave another prompting look, completely unashamed or oblivious of her present appearance. "Uh, what?"

* * *

Goram Quigg growled quietly as he sat chained to the desk of an interrogation room in SPD Headquarters. Sitting across the table from him, Bridge casually leaned back in his seat and eyed the plate sitting between him. On the plate sat the large slice of garlic pizza Sydney had brought for Sky.

"Looks good, doesn't it?" Bridge asked, "Would you like some?"

He was met by another growl from the lizardman. Unphased, Bridge glanced at his watch, and took the pizza slice "You know, I missed dinner earlier when we hauled you in, and I get super cranky when I'm really hungry. You don't mind if I start in on this, do you?"

From behind the glass window of the interrogation room, Commander Cruger looked to Z and raised an eyebrow, "Delgado? What is Carson doing?"

"It looks like he's eating pizza, sir." Z answered wrinkling her nose, "Really nasty strong smelling pizza."

Meanwhile, Goram grimaced and shifted in his seat uncomfortably, his naturally strong sense of smell being overwhelmed with the powerful odor of garlic.

"Oh man, this pizza is so good!" Bridge said talking with his mouth full. "The sauce is so sweet and the crust is just so... buttery."

After finishing the pizza slice, Bridge picked up Goram's file and slid it over, "Right then. It already looks like you screwed up your parole, but maybe the court would be a little more lenient if you tell us who you were working for and why they want to kidnap Miss Linton."

Goram recoiled from the pungent smelling file, "Do you really think I'm going to tell you anything little man?"

Bridge got up from his seat and walked around the table. In one swift motion, he grabbed Goram by the collar and breathed his garlic breath right on his face. "Your particular species has an extremely powerful sense of smell, so unless you want to keep choking, you're going to tell me everything you know."

Goram held Bridge's gaze before turning away with a gag. "All right! I'll talk! Just get away from me!"

In no time at all, Bridge exited the interrogation room, greeting Cruger and Z with a big smile. "Well, he talked," Bridge announced holding out a notepad with Goram's written statement.  
Cruger recoiled from the garlic smell and gestured for Bridge to keep the papers, "What did he say?"

"Said he was hired to kidnap Miss Linton by a big businessman named Alastor Lucien. It seems he's got a lot of lucrative contracts with the military for developing technology, though isn't he also the same guy running against Mr. Linton in the alderman election coming up?"

"He is," Cruger nodded, "meaning we were right about a political motivation. What was his angle?"

Bridge scratched his head, "Something about ransoming the daughter so that Mr. Linton wouldn't have any money left for the election. Kind of a nefarious twirl your mustache kind of plan if you ask me."

"Either way, we can't arrest Mr. Lucien based on some hearsay evidence." Z added crossing her arms. "All we can do is track Lucien and wait for him to do something stupid."

"An excellent suggestion," Cruger said, "I just happen to know that Mr. Lucien will be attending the charity gala at the end of the week, along with the Linton family too."

"Wow. Sounds really awkward to me." Bridge chimed in.

"I guess that means we're all going to that gala then." Z said pushing her partner out the door, "But first, we're going to have to get you a toothbrush and some mouthwash."

* * *

To the Rangers' relief, the rest of the week passed uneventfully until the night of the weekend charity gala. The event was held at the city's largest science museum and several important politicians and public officials were in attendance, hoping that it would improve their image and social standing. That night, as they walked past the door man who was a fish faced alien, Bridge, Z, and Syd made their way through the throng of party guests, both human and extraterrestrial.

Luckily for them, many of the partygoers were too preoccupied with their cocktails and conversations to pay them any mind. While the other guests were dressed in expensive suits and dresses, the three Rangers wore their dark SPD dress uniforms, still feeling a little out of place.

"Wow, look at all these people." Bridge remarked quietly, "And check out some of the jewelry these women are wearing."

For a moment, Z's old street thief instincts rose to the surface and she pondered for a moment how quick and easy it would be to pickpocket some of the city's upper crust. Dismissing the thought, she turned to Syd who looked about distractedly.

"Hey, you ok Syd?" Z asked giving her friend a gentle nudge. "I figured you'd totally be in your element right now."

Sydney sighed and gave a shrug, "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"It's not because you're worried about Sky, is it?" Z prodded, "Or is it because Jackie Linton makes you a little uncomfortable?"

Syd frowned and gave Z a sharp elbow, "Quit being ridiculous and keep a look out for Mr. Lucien. We have a serious job to do tonight."

"Well, I'm going to set up a stake out by the open bar," Bridge announced wandering away through the crowd.

"Hey! Bridge! You can't drink while you're on duty!" Z called chasing after him, "Come back here!"

Syd watched the two depart and figured she should start scouting the room and find a good vantage point to observe everyone. As the petite blonde officer navigated through the crowd, she wasn't sure who she was going to be more worried about spying on... Mr. Lucien, or Sky.

* * *

 **To Be Concluded...**


	3. Act III

On the other side of the party, Sky stood uncomfortably while Jackie clung to his arm and led him around the room, socializing with other wealthy people he didn't know, or care about. Glancing over, he noticed the tall half empty champagne flute in Jackie's hand and mentally noted that it was already her fourth. At this rate, he was almost certain there would be more alcohol related problems to deal with later that night.

He felt a tug at his arm from Jackie signaling him to continue moving and she whispered as they walked, "So, those girls I was just chatting with… what did you think of them?"

Sky gave a neutral shrug, "Your friends seemed nice enough."

"Well they're not," Jackie corrected him sounding slightly slurred and tipsy, "They're just putting on a big act for the people here. Honestly, I've always thought they were kinda ditzy and self absorbed."

Sky rolled his eyes and held his tongue before they came to an abrupt stop. Standing in front of them was Mr. Alastor Lucien, who greeted them with a warm smile and an extended hand. "Jackie Linton, What a pleasure to see you again."

Jackie shook his hand warily maintaining a polite expression, "Mr. Lucien, I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight."

"Oh. Well even if your father and I are running against each other in the city election, I'm not here to steal votes or talk politics tonight." The businessman smiled, "I'm just here for the charity."

Having been alerted by the recent development in the case by Cruger, Sky took a quick look around for threats before Lucien turned to him, "And you must be Officer Tate. SPD's Red Ranger. It's an honor."

"Thank you sir," Sky answered carefully, "It's nice to meet you too."

Lucien grinned and gave Sky a friendly nudge, "I see Mr. Linton's political alliance with SPD is still looking strong. But don't worry son, if I win the election, I'll be just as supportive of your organization."

"I'll keep that in mind when I vote next." Sky answered diplomatically.

"Well, you kids run along and have fun tonight." Lucien nodded as he walked away, "Maybe I'll see you again later."

"What a creep," Jackie muttered as she led them toward a side hallway. "Can you wait here a minute. I've got to use the restroom."

Sky nodded and began to wait patiently for Jackie when he caught sight of Sydney approaching him from the crowd.

"Having fun tonight, Officer Tate?" Sydney asked neutrally as she stood at attention in front of him.

"To be really honest? No." Sky said with a sigh, "Though, I'm actually surprised you came along with the others tonight. You seemed a little upset with me a few days ago."

"I'm a police officer." Syd replied coolly, "I have a job to do tonight. Have you seen Lucien?"

"Just spoke to him." Sky said pointing out the general direction they were previously at. "He seemed kinda suspicious, but I can't tell if he's going to do anything tonight."

Just then, Z's voice came on over their communicators. "Sky, this is Z. Bridge and I have a visual on Lucien, but it looks like he's cutting out early. What do you want us to do?"

Sky picked up his comm and replied, "Keep an eye on Lucien and see what he's up to. Be sure to stay out of sight and keep me posted if anything changes."

Z gave an affirmative response leaving Syd to turn to her partner, "Well, now what?"

At that moment, the band that was hired for the evening's event began to play some fast music while party guests began moving out to the floor to dance. Before Sky could answer Sydney, Jackie emerged from the bathroom and pulled Sky out on to the floor, leaving the Pink Ranger sputtering in shock.

As the two began to dance, Sky kept trying to disengage but Jackie kept a firm hold on him. "Don't you think you should just sit and take it easy for a little bit?" Sky pleaded. "I mean, you've had a lot to drink already."

"I think you're the one who needs to relax." Jackie laughed in reply pressing herself closer to him, "You've been playing hard to get all week and I like a challenging man."

"Miss Linton… Jackie… I'm very flattered and all," Sky said, desperately trying to keep his own thoughts in check, "but I don't think this will work out."

"Why not?" she insisted, "Don't you find me attractive?"

"Well, sure." Sky answered weakly.

Jackie tilted her head a moment and studied his face, "You do like women, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Sky retorted in outrage, "It's just that… well, there's someone else."

Jackie continued to study him before giving a slow smile, "I see, but first let me know if this will make you reconsider."

Before Sky could react, Jackie pulled him close while Syd stood in shock at the sight of the socialite and the Red Ranger locked in a passionate kiss on the dance floor.

* * *

The room spun for a moment as Sky broke away, shaking his head and regaining his senses from Jackie's kiss. To his alarm, he looked over and spotted Syd quickly turn away from the floor and disappear back into the crowd. At that moment, Jackie still looked flushed from the champagne and he led her off the floor to sit down for a few minutes. After a few minutes of weaving through the party guests, Sky finally found Sydney sitting glumly by the bar holding a fresh martini glass.

"Syd? Can we talk?" Sky asked.

"Just go away Sky." She said angrily turning away, "Don't talk to me right now."

Sky stood there a moment before sitting down in front of her with a sigh, "Ok Syd. This is getting ridiculous. I know you're angry about what you just saw out there, but it's not what it looked like."

"Then tell me Sky, what did it look like?" Syd demanded sharply.

Sky shrugged, "Like a crazy spoiled rich girl trying way too hard to get my attention."

Syd glanced at him a moment before giving a repentant look, "Well then that makes two of us."

"I kinda gathered that." Sky answered with a small smile, "but it still doesn't change how I feel about you either. It's always been you Syd, even since we met in the Academy."

Syd looked at him in surprise for a moment, "Wait. So you have feelings for me? And you've liked me this whole time?"

Sky nodded as Sydney leaned back with a sigh, "And here I was getting worked up over nothing. Why haven't you ever said anything?"

Sky shrugged, "Well, it's kinda tough. We're always busy, and with all the SDP fraternization rules in place, it's difficult having to set a good example as the Red Ranger… especially now."

"It's really not fair, you know?" Syd agreed putting her hand over his, "Because I really like you too."

Sky clasped his partner's hand back, "Yeah, the energy drinks and the garlic pizza were a dead giveaway."

"And here I thought I was being subtle." Syd chuckled.

Sky rolled his eyes gently, "Well I am a cop too, remember? I'm not stupid."

As the two smiled and held hands for a lingering moment, Sydney's eyes grew wide, "Oh my gosh! Where is Jackie? We forgot all about her!"

Sky broke out into a cold sweat and sat bolt upright looking about the room. Rushing over to the table where he had last left Jackie, he found the seat empty. Turning to some of the nearby guests who were sitting out of the dancing, he asked "Have any of you seen a young woman with brown hair and a blue dress? She was just sitting here."

A purple skinned alien guest with three eyes nodded and pointed toward a side hallway. "Yes. The young lady looked a bit worn out. Two of the waiters came over and offered to get her a cab. They went off that way."

Thanking the alien, Sky and Syd exchanged a worried look and rushed down the side hall, only to find an exit doorway that was already left open. Sky pounded his fist against the wall and cursed, "Damn! Lucien must have had some more hired goons among the wait staff. No wonder we didn't notice!"

"Sky, this is bad. What are we going to do?" Sydney asked worriedly trying in vain to find some trace of footprints or dropped items near the door.

Just then, their communicators went off and Z was heard on the other end. "Sky. We've got trouble. Bridge and I followed Lucien to a nearby warehouse and we intercepted a call to his phone. It sounds like some of his hired help got to Miss Linton and they're bringing her there. What the hell happened?"

"Never mind that," Sky answered, "Keep your GPS going and your eyes on Lucien. Syd and I are on the way."

"Understood." Z responded. "We'll be ready to strike as soon as you get here."

Turning to Sydney, Sky gave a grim smile, "Well, looks like we both really screwed up today. You ready to go set things right?"

The Pink Ranger gave thumbs up and followed close as the two Rangers began to race to the parking lot to stop Alastor Lucien.

* * *

Alastor Lucien waited anxiously in the lit warehouse as a car pulled into the loading area slowly, then parked. Two men exited the car quickly carrying Jackie Linton who was now tied, gagged, and blindfolded. Even despite her inebriated condition, she struggled in vain to slip free and cry out for help. As they set her down nearby some small boxes, the fake waiters turned to Lucien who was still flanked by his own two bodyguards wearing dark suits.

"Excellent work gentlemen." Lucien grinned stepping over to examine the helpless form of Jackie. "I'm sure Mr. Linton will pay a nice sum to have his daughter returned safely."

Amid Jackie's muffled shouts and thrashing, Lucien laughed, "Didn't I say I'd be seeing you again later tonight? Now that alderman's office is as good as mine."

"The only office you're going to be getting is a tiny one with iron bars." Sydney called out as the Rangers of SPD stepped out of the shadows with their pistols drawn.

"SPD! Put your hands up." Z barked as they approached the startled villains and surrounded them.

Lucien raised his hands slowly while continuing to smile, "Officers, you know it's not a good idea to make enemies of politicians. But it's even worse to make enemies with executives of weapons corporations."

At that moment, Lucien's two bodyguards whipped off their suit jackets revealing cyborg bodies underneath and arms bristling with dangerous weapons. In one swift motion, the cyborgs opened fire with powerful automatic laser guns from their arms.

"Oh, I did not see that one coming." Bridge remarked as Sky dove in and pulled his friend down from the oncoming weapons fire.

Supply crates were quickly shredded into shrapnel as the Rangers kept their heads down from the withering laser fire. Amid the chaotic smoke and noise, Syd spotted Lucien making his escape with Jackie while the two waiters fled for their lives.

Pulling out his Delta Morpher, Sky turned to the other Rangers, "Z and Bridge, you two take down Lucien and get Jackie back. Syd and I will cover you from here."

Z and Bridge nodded and took off after Lucien as the Red and Pink Rangers rose from cover returning a volley of suppressing fire and brandishing their morphers.

"You ready to make up for all the time we lost this week partner?" Sky called.

"Let's go for it!" Syd cheered. "SPD, Emergency!"

In a flash of twinkling light, the Red and Pink Rangers emerged and charged quickly on the two cyborgs to close the distance. Despite their larger size and power, the cyborgs were slow and threw awkward punches that the Rangers easily evaded as a melee erupted. Flipping over another attack, Sydney countered with her baton and struck back with a flurry of furious blows as if she were fencing and knocked the enemy down. Rolling to its side, the cyborg tried to raise its weapon arm, but Syd pinned it to the ground with her baton and held her own pistol at the enemy's face, forcing him to surrender.

Meanwhile, Sky dodged several swings from the other cyborg and disabled its metallic forearm with his blaster at close range. Staggering, the cyborg took another wild swing that the Red Ranger stopped with his own weapon arm. In a flash, Sky drew his other blaster with a twirl and shot off the cyborg's other weapon arm. The foe cried out in pain and fell over backwards, as Sky kicked him down, leaving the cyborg helpless without his robotic arms. Having subdued both their opponents the Red and Pink Ranger turned to each other and exchanged an enthusiastic high five.

As the smoke from their battle cleared, the two Rangers looked up to see the forms of their two teammates returning from the other side of the warehouse. They were morphed as well and gave nods that all was well on their end.

"The hunting was good!" Z called, "We just bagged ourselves a fat pig."

The Yellow Ranger proudly led the way dragging the haggard form of Mr. Lucien, now hog tied and gagged with the same ropes that had been used on Jackie. The once proud and haughty businessman's suit was now tattered and he moaned in humiliation as Z made sure to drag him through every particularly dirty spot on the floor. Following close behind, Bridge carried an exhausted looking Jackie who was now wearing a look of admiration for her new blue clad rescuer.

"Nice work everyone." Sky nodded in approval to his team.

"You do realize there is going to be a hell of a lot of paperwork with this one, right?" Bridge called out.

"After everything I've been through this week?" Sky said, "Any kind of police work would be a welcome change of pace. Syd, would you like to call this one in?"

Sydney looked to the exhausted faces of Jackie and Mr. Lucien, then reached for her communicator with a wide smile, "My pleasure..."

* * *

After being awarded a few days off following their big arrest, the Rangers prepared to go back to duty and resume their usual patrols. On that particular sunny afternoon, Sydney Drew stood in front of her mirror preparing to head out on patrol. She was reminded about Jackie Linton's comment about her still looking so good on the job and she debated what to do about her hair in the sweltering summer heat. As she tied it back into a neat ponytail, she heard a chime at her door and was surprised to see Sky tentatively enter. In his hand was a small cold keeper container.

"Hey Syd, do you have a minute?" he asked hopefully.

She gave an amused expression and nodded gesturing to sit down beside her at the foot of her bed. "Sure Sky. Except what's with the cold keeper?"

He opened it up and produced a small store bought pint of pink cherry ice cream. "I brought you a little gift... something of a peace offering for all the craziness last week. I figured you'd probably like that after you get off your shift today."

Sydney smiled warmly and took the ice cream, sticking it in her room's small refrigerator. "Thanks Sky. That's very sweet of you... though I was hoping maybe we could share it some other time when our patrol schedules lined up again."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem," Sky grinned, "I pulled rank earlier today and got the duty roster rearranged. I hope you don't mind patrolling with me again this week."

Sydney beamed and surprised him by taking his arm and walking back out into the hallways toward the main doors of SPD Headquarters. As they walked, Sydney gave a thoughtful look, "You know, I couldn't help but wonder... now that your guard duty is over, I don't suppose Jackie Linton is still calling your phone or sending you emails, is she?"

Sky shook his head and laughed, "No. After that rescue in the warehouse, it seems Bridge has become her new flavor of the week. Last I heard, Z wasn't too thrilled with all the extra attention her partner's been getting."

After a short silence while walking, Syd asked, "Sky, I know being a part of SPD has changed me quite a bit, but I'm still a little embarrassed to admit that I was once kinda like Jackie. I hope it hasn't made you think any less of me."

"Don't be ridiculous Syd." Sky answered as they stopped just outside the front doors of SPD. "You've been one of my closest friends since our days at the Academy. There's no one I'd trust more, on or off duty."

"Good," Sydney grinned, "because I'm going to ask you to trust me when I break an SPD regulation right now."

To his surprise, Syd gently reached up and grasped his collar, pulling him in to a soft warm kiss. If any of the other SPD officers or staff workers passing by the front doors saw them, they simply looked away and pretended not to notice. As she let go of Sky and pulled away, Sydney straightened her uniform and cleared her throat to regain her composure. "Are you ready to go on patrol Officer Tate?"

Sky blinked a moment and smiled as he began walking alongside his partner. He wasn't sure if the heat on his face was from the summer sun or the feelings behind that kiss, but he was certain now that he'd have to schedule a meeting with Commander Cruger later and discuss the benefits of changing some of those old outdated fraternization rules.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Special thanks go to everyone for reading, as well as the people following my work up to now. I'm truly humbled and I hope you got a few small laughs along the way too. It's always fun seeing Sky a little off balance or Sydney showing off some true maturity as a character. I'm not exactly sure what my next story will be just yet, but as always, feel free to leave any comments or reviews in the meantime. I'm all ears!**


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